UKDRN

Do you own or know the whereabouts of a piece of UK Drag Racing History or just want info on a particular machine.

Moderators: timetravel, ukdrn

 #4280  by sid
 
where did the spirit car go that simon williams used to run in the wild bunch.
i know he sold it but ive never seen it out again, which is a crying shame to me as i think its a beutiful little car and with performance to match, cant remember what times it ran but seem to remember it was a hand full.

anyone know?

sid.
 #4283  by muddytalker
 
I've got an idea Sid that the car went aboard. I take it this is the old blown BMC slingshot that 'Diamond Dave' Miller used to race in the mid seventies. Between him and by dad's blown BMC 'The Joker' were regular sparring partners at Santa Pod and NDRC's legendary on tour meets at Blackbushe and Silverstone.
 #4291  by sid
 
your teaching me again mate!

the car was a blown bmc painted black, was always very well turned out and a car that if it has gone abroad we have lost one of our racing treasures!!.

can you post up a pic incase we can find out anymore about it? only ive had a pm with regard to which car.

thanks for your time.

sid.
 #4296  by muddytalker
 
Sid it's the very same car. I'll see if I can post a pic when it was metal flake green when I get home from the Bash Sunday/Monday. In the meantime I have just found this pic on the following link:

http://www.stoveboltengineco.com/racing.htm
 #4301  by sid
 
muddytalker wrote:Sid it's the very same car. I'll see if I can post a pic when it was metal flake green when I get home from the Bash Sunday/Monday. In the meantime I have just found this pic on the following link:

http://www.stoveboltengineco.com/racing.htm
the name Mike Tomlin sounds familiar??

thats the car MT. 9s thats some going!

thanks.

sid.
 #4315  by LostinFrance
 
Sid,
I spoke to Simon just after he sold the car. He told me the guy who bought it remembered it from the 70's and intended to put it in the showroom of his company, somewhere in London. He said he might also try to race it but obviously hasn't. So as far as I know it is still in the UK

Bit of history. We bought the car (in lime green metalflake) from Dave Miller in 1985. We raced it for a couple of years under the name Radical Ride. The car had a habit of breaking the gearbox (an old 3-speed PA Cresta box) the diff or a halfshaft a every meeting. In 1992 I completely rebuilt the car, adding (over 5 years) a clutched 3-speed auto box, slider clutch and Quaiffe LSD. By 1997 the spec was:
Engine: 1293cc (79cu in) Leyland 'A' series (Mini) engine. EN40B nitrided, steel crank, polished and shot-peened Cooper 'S' rods, forged racing pistons. Dave Miller fuel pump and fuel-injection system. Roots type 'cabin blower' supercharger.
Transmission: Steel bellhousing contains billet steel flywheel and 4-plate AP designed 7.25" slider clutch. Heavily modified Borg-Warner BW35 3-speed automatic originally from Rick Fieldings rear-engined Dolomite Sprint powered 'Imagination' dragster. Gearbox uses clutch to start in 1st gear, 2nd and third gears then use manual, clutchless, gearchanges. Fully floating narrowed BMC rear axle uses Quaife Torque Biasing LSD with narrowed and shot-peened English Ford half-shafts. Ratio 4.22:1 or 4.55:1 BMC.
Electrics: Vertex-Scintilla magneto.
Chassis and Bodywork: 118" chassis fabricated by original builder Dave Miller using CDS2 steel tube to a 1960's front engine slingshot design by Harold Bull. Built circa 1973. Front axle uses Ford Pop spindles and a torsion bar suspension. Standard 10 steering box. Hand-formed aluminium body panels.
Brakes: Rear disc brakes, ex-Army parachute.
Wheels/tyres: Front: 12" Raleigh Wisp moped wheel rims with Dave Miller hubs. Rear: Appliance mags with M&H Racemaster slicks.
Fuel: Methanol
Performance: 1997 Hot Rod Drags at Avon Park Raceway. 11.53 @113mph (1/4mile track)

We only did a couple of meetings a year and by 2000 with the above bits it was fairly bulletproof.
Sold the car to Simon who ran it for a couple of seasons (with a drop of nitro, into the 10's) before selling it on.

Pic at http://www.e-britain.co.uk/cev (scroll to end) just before I sold it
Video at http://www.e-britain.co.uk/dragaddict/images/spirit.avi from 1997 (sorry about the quality)

Let me know if you want more pics or info.

Mike Tomlin
 #4319  by sid
 
thanks mike,, ive seen that austin before too?

very happy that its still in britain and maybe raced here again!

thanks again for your time and effort.
and welcome to the forum.

sid.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 9